Hardware and screen cloth machine



May 28, 1946.

N. s. HARTER 2,401,070

HARDWARE AND SCREEN CLOTH MACHINE 10 Sheets-Sheet l Original Filed Oct. 15, 1938 May 28, 1946. N. s. HARTER HARDWARE AND SCREEN CLOTH MACHINE l0 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Oct. 13, 1938 2 QM \m S g Q mm mm May 28, 1946. N. s. HARTER HARDWARE AND SCREEN CLOTH MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 13, 1938 10 Shaets-Sheet 3 lmenfor: Nom/ 5. H1978 TE/F May 28, 1946. N. s. HARTER HARDWARE AND SCREEN CLOTH MACHINE l0 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed Oct. 15, 1938 10 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed 0C(. 15, 1938 11206244507".- NOHH 5'. fl/MTER May 28, 1946. N. s. HARTER HARDWARE AND SCREEN CLOTH MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 13, 1-938 10 Sheets-Sheet 6 May 28, 1946. N. s. HARTER HARDWARE AND SCREEN CLOTH MACHINE Original Filed 001',- 13.. 1938 zzo F ler].

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UNITED STATES PATENT oF-Flcs v HARDWAREAND am e MACHINE Noah's. Harter, Waukexan, I l-, assignor to The American Steel and Wire Company of New Jersey, a corporation of New Jersey Claims. (Cl. 139-127) The present application is a division of my Patent No. 2,363,415, issued November 21, 1944,

and entitled Hardware and screen cloth ma-- chines. l

The invention relates to novel instrumentalities hereinafter described and claimed for making hardware and screen cloth fabrics.

The refinements of construction and detail of operation characterizing the herein claimedin-l vention will be clearly understood from the following description when read in conjunction wit the accompanying drawings, in which: 1

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a machine or loom embodying one form of my invention showing the entire layout except the fabric take-up.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof. Figure 3 is a sectional elevational view taken along line III-III of Figure 1.

Figure 3a is a sectional elevational view of the fabric take-up which is positioned relative to the machine at the lower left-hand comer of Figure 3, the section of Figure 3a being taken along a leftward extension of line III-III of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a side elevational view taken from the opposite side to that shown in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a sectional plan view taken along an irregular line V-V of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional elevational view taken along line VI-VI of Figure 2, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional elevational view' taken along an irregular line VII-VII of Figure 2.

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary, longitudinal, sectional view showing several details of construction of the beater frame and associated actuating mechanism.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary, sectional, elevational view taken along line lX-lX of Figpre 8.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary, sectional, plan view taken along line XX of Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a schematic plan view showing a fragmentary portion of the finished fabric, and the various steps comprising its process of manufacture, including its formation and subsequent evolvement.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings; in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout (and correspond to those of my patent above referred to, No. 2,363,415),

a brief description will first be given of the gen-' eral assembly and functional relationships of the several main parts of the machine, leaving the more detailed description for later. 1

As viewed in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the warp or line wires L are introduced to the machine in substantial parallelism from a supply depot (not shown) positioned to the right-hand side of these the weft wires P are introduced into the warp wires L by pinch rolls 35, and are guided and positioned in the fabric by a beater frame and reed assembly 85.

Thus is formed the fabric F, which, at this stage, is unfinished, requiring treatment upon its edges to provide the desired selvages thereon. This latter operation is accomplished by the mechanisms 88-92, inclusive, appearing generally in Figures 1, 2, and 3. By these units, each of the selvage edges of the fabric is formed and welded simultaneously to complete the fabric (see Figure 11), which then passes on through driven feed rolls I10, as best appears in Figure 3, to the take-up mechanism, illustrated in Figure 3a. This latter view represents a continuation, at the left-hand end, of the view in Figure 3.

Wm Fssn AND Connor.

It will be seen from this general outline that the warp wires L are, in effect, continuous from the time they leave the supply depot (not shown) until the time they are wound on the take-up reel as part of the fabric F. It will be appreciated that it is necessary to maintain these wires under constant substantial tension in order that the fabric will be wellformed, tight and symmetrical. This presupposes that at no time during the operating cycle of the machine will these wires be relieved of tension until they are wound on the take-up reel as a part of the finished fabric. It will also be appreciated that the operation of the heddles, in effecting the warp shed,

tends to cause recurrent periods of slack in the described hereinafter.

The warp wire feed rolls I are frictionally driven from two to three per cent faster than the fabric feed rolls III'I, to the drive of which they are coordinated through a worm gear 2, a worm 3, and a shaft 4. There are several reasons why this overdrive of the feed rolls I is necessary, one of these being that the introduction of weft wires into interwoven relation with the warp wires tends to effect an increment of takeup in the length of the latter. by causing them to assume a. serpentine disposition, as against their former straight disposition before becoming a part of the fabric. This means that the linear amount of warp wire advanced to the fabric forming devices must be somewhat in excess of any unit length of fabric issuing therefrom; hence the feed rolls I are slightly over-driven to allow for this.

The over-drive of these rolls is also required to provide sufficient lengths of warp wire for the actuation of the heddles 222; but, as has already been indicated, the compensating tensioning rolls serve to keep'any intermittent slack, which would result from the over-drive and actuation of the heddles, from setting up in the wires. The compensating rolls 5 also serve to coordinate the functions of the feed rolls I and "ii. whereby neither the wires nor the fabric are at any time subjected to too great a tension.

The compensating function of the rolls 5 may best be understood by reference to Figure 2, wherein it will be seen that they comprise a pair of idle rolls 6 and I, which extend across. the machine between the opposite side frames I9 thereof. At each of their ends they are journaled, respectively, in upstanding journal plates 8 and 9, which, in turn, are journaled in pivoted relation, as at II, to each of their respective side frames III. The journal plate 8 is provided with a horizontally disposed extension I2 to which is pivoted a bifurcated arm I3, which extends along a d beyond the end of the extension I2 in straddle relation thereto. The bifurcated arm I3 and the extension I2 are secured together by a connecting rod I4, which extends from the end of the extension I2 and passes upwardly through a bearing plate I5, which bridges over and connects the opposite side portions of the bifurcated arm I3. About the connecting rod I4 is disposed a compression spring I6 which is adapted to bear upon the bearing plate I5 with a degree of tension that may be varied by a nut I'l, threaded on the end of the connecting rod I4.

This-assembly, last described, is such that the compression spring I6 normally tends to keep the extension I2 and the bifurcated arm I3 in substantial parallelism, and so that any motion imparted to the one will tend to be transmitted to the other. The end of the bifurcated arm I3 is provided with a roller I8 which rests upon a cam I9 that is carried by a shaft 2, which is the same shaft that actuates the beater frame, whereby the movements of the arm I3 are coordinated with the movements of the latter, and the tensioning rolls 5 are made to tension the warp wires W, while allowing for the heddle motion and the interweaving of the weft wires P. The means whereby this allowance is efl'ected will-now be described.

Pivoted to the bifurcated arm I3 is a trip-lever 20 which projects downwardly therefrom, and has secured to its lower extremity a connecting rod 2I, as is shown in Figure 2, which rod 2| extends down to connect with a bell-crank 22 that carries a yoke 23 adapted to actuate a clutch 24 against the tension of a spring 25. The shaft 4 is powered through the clutch 24.

The trip-lever 20 is provided with a trip extension 26 which rests upon a lug 21 on the extension I2. This arrangement is such that, depending upon whether the arm I3 and extension 12 separate against the compression of spring I6 in response to motion of the cam [9 (as will be done when the warp wire tension is sumcient), or remain in parallelism (as when wires are slack) for movement by the cam in unison, the clutch 24, through the trip-lever 29, the connecting rod 2|, bell-crank 22, and yoke 23, will remain closed to perfect the drive to the warp feed rolls I through shaft 4, or be opened to interrupt the same, respectively. In this manner, correct tension of the warp wires is always maintained, as ismore fully described in my prior patent referred to above.

Wasr FEED As has already been indicated, the weft wire is drawn from an endless supply and pushed into association with the warp wires at the warp shed by means of pinch rolls. By this arrangement, as will appear more fully hereinafter, it is possible to maintain a supply of weft wire that is substantially continuous throughout any desired operating period of the machine in precisely the same manner as the warp wire supplies are maintained.

The principal instrumentalities for effecting the weft feed and association are two: (1) the pinch rolls and associated guide elements that appear in Figures 1, 4, 6, and 7; and (2) the beater frame and reed assembly which receives the weft wire from the pinch rolls, and, after shearing,

whereby the weft wire P is conducted down to the stationary entrance guides 34 of the first set of two pairs of pinch rolls 35. Since the weft wire is delivered from a stationary guide 35 into a guide 31 (see Figures 8, 9, and 10), that is an integral part of the reed of the beater frame assembly, and since this latter must periodically be oscillated to dispose the weft wire fed thereto into the bite of the warp wires, it is necessary to provide for the intermittent feed of the weft wire so as to confine its feed to such times when the beater frame is in position to receive it.

The intermittent feed of the weft wire is effected by making the upper and lower sets of feed rolls 35 relatively movable. The lower set is -mounted and stationarily journaled, as will best appear in Figure '7, whereas the upper set is journaled in bearings which may be raised and lowered by a yoke 38 that is actuated by a connecting rod 39 extending from a driven crank 49 (see Figure 4).

From the foregoing it will be seen that when the upper set of pinch rolls is at its lowermost position, it causes the wire to bear against the lower set of pinch rolls which is driven through sprockets M and a chain 42, shown in Figure 6. This causes the wire to be advanced into the machine proper. By this arrangement it is unnecessary to interrupt the drive to the lower pair of pinch rolls, and, according y, they are kept rotating at a constant speed whether the wire is being advanced or not.

To insure against the wire's being disfigured or broken by the sudden jerk that necessarily occurs when the moving pinch "rolls are brought into As will be seen in Figures 6 and '7, there is depending in driven relation to the pinch roll drive mechanism, a stub shaft 43 accommodating a split cone pulley II, the complementary cones of which are urged toward each other by the expansive force of a compression spring 45, which force is variable by the adjustment of a nut 46. This split cone pulley constitutes the driving element of a belt drive 41 for frictionally rotating the reel 28, which has its base fashioned in the-form of a belt pulley 48. The reel is iournaled for rotation on a vertical stub shaft 48 which issupported by the free end of a swingable arm 50 carried by a standard -Thismeans that the axis of the reel is disposed in eccentric relation to the axisof the standard whereby, upon oscillating the swingable arm, the reel may be moved toward or away from the split cone pulley 4| to vary the distance therebetween. A belt 41 is disposed about the split cone pulley and the reel pulley 48, whereby the latter may be driven as the former rotates.

The portion of the swingable arm 50 disposed upon the standard is provided with a radial lug 52 against which aset screw 53 carried by the standard 5| is adapted to bear. By setting the screw, the reel may be adjusted to the proper distance from the split cone pulley. It willbe understood that by adjusting the reel in this manner, the belt is tensioned or relieved of tension, which varies the eifective diameter of the split cone pulley, whereby the reel is caused to move faster or slower, depending upon the nature of the adjustment. In this manner an ample amount of weft wire is kept paid oil of the reel in synchronism with the operation of the pinch rolls, whereby the requirements of the latter are satisfled without there being an excesssive amount of drag on the e.

The snarl switch 32, mentioned above, which is shown in the upper left-hand corner of Figure 7, comprises a movable segmental wire guide frame 54, provided with a plurality of guiding rollers 55, which is complementary to the stationary segmental wire guide 29 to which it is secured by toggle arms 56. A spring 51 tends normally to maintain the movable element 54 in horizontal alignment with its stationary complement 29. Should the wire on the reel become tangled, the continued actuation of the pinch rolls would tension the wire to causethe movable element 54 to i be drawn downwardly against the force of the compression spring 51. This movement of the element is caused to actuate an electric circuitcloser (not shown) through which various relays are energized to stop the operation of the machine before the weft ,wire can be broken.

Bursa Flume As has already been mentioned, the introduction of the weft wire between the warp wires, and p the moving of the former into proper position frame assembly is provided with a trunnion hearing I and II,

a 3 relativetothelattenarebythe beaterframe andreed 'lhememefor performingthisfunctionwinbebym. ferringtol'iguresiifldmndtnltfleularlywith reference to the lattntwo figures, which show TheweftwirePispushedhythepinehrolB throughthestationarywireguidefllendingnp the beater frame. The reed II of ceiving slotl'l, which aligns with distance greater than theentire width of the fabric. The heater frame has in strumentalities reipositively holding the weft wire in thereed tithereofduringthemovemmt of the frame forwardly topositidi the weft properly withrespecttothewarpwiregandforremaininginthisposiflonuntiltheheddlesm havebeen reversed tocausethewarpwirutomsggtiea%dflrmlyte I holdtheweftwhe. Thedetails 0 ea r rame and reed "new will now be described. 1

It will be seen by referencetol'lgnresl, iLand 10, that the beater frame two rocker frames it and It, each of which is pivoted on a respectively, on the side frames ll of the machine; Opposite to the other. The rocker frames are connected to each other by a cross bar which is provided with an onset portion 53 to give end earing to the dents 64 constituting the reed II.

The dents comprise integral bars of special configuration, which, with the of the end dents, are identical, whereb a escription of one would suflice for all. It will be seen that is; deit is an elongated solid which as een provided with cut-awn portimm Ii 61, intermediate its ends on tw o opposite sii According to the invention, fllfle cut-away portions are suchas to impart to the otherIise rectangular section of the dent a hexsgunsishape in which four of the six sides are of much neuter dimension than the remaining two sides, and in which the pairs of opposed greater sides 5H! and sa-es' are in substantial respectively, leaving the two lesser sides ll-ll likewise in parallel oppomtlon.

The end portions II and I! of each dent retain the rectangular cross section, and the upper end of each dent, through the section II thereof, there extends,'in relation to the dent, an aperture It for P poses that will presently appear. Each dent is we provided with a square notch 14 which extends across the front side of the dent between the cut-away side to portions thereof, into each of which the opposite ends of the notch respectively Open.

Figure 9 shows how the dents are amembied to stand on end on the ofl'set portion 3 of the cross member 62 to form a panel, and how the cut-away side portions "-61 of adjacent dents register to form slots acm the panel as B customary in the design of reeds for looms. The uncustomary features about this reed panel are the me of the offset wire bearing P rtions 18-18, snugly engage the wire to prevent lateral displacement thereof when the latter is under ten-J sion.

The dents 84 comprising the reed panel 85 are secured to the cross member 62 by a long clamp 18, which is removably bolted to the cross member to admit of the adjustment, removal, or replacement of one or more dents, and at their upper extremity are bound securely together by a tie rod 11, which extends through the transverse apertures 13 adjacent the top of each dent and which align with each other in the assembled panel to afford a passageway for the tie rod.

As may have been surmised, the panel groove 81 formed by the registering dent notches 14 comprises a guide for receiving and holding the weft wire as it advances from the pinch rolls 35 through the stationary guide 86. Since this is necessarily an open groove to permit the weft wires to be discharged when finally brought into proper position, a retractable closure for this groove must be provided. To this end, a hollow box section 18 of a length commensurate with that of the reed panel 65 is arranged to bear upon the front face thereof so as to lie substantially parallel with the Weft wire panel guide groove 31. It is retained in this position by a to the cross bar of the beater frame, and is further retained by a plurality of downwardly de-' pending connecting rods 18, which, at their up per ends, are secured by fastenings 80 section, and at their rocker shaft 8!. This rocker shaft is supported in front of, and substantially parallel to, the cross member 82 by means of a plurality of levers 82. The levers are, in turn, journaled on a shaft 88 carried in bearings 84 formed beneath and as a 40 part of the cross member.

From this it will be seen that oscillation of the levers about the fixed shaft 83 will, through the rocker shaft 8| and connecting rods 18, cause the box section 18 to slide up and down the front face of the reed panel 85. This is accomplished by a connecting rod 85 that links the rocker shaft 8| with cams 256, as will be described in detail hereinafter, which are coordinated with the other moving parts of the machine to effect the opening and closing of the weft wire panel guide groove by means about to be described.

Again referring to Figure 8, it will be seen that there is rigidly secured to the top of the box section, so as to be substantially coextensive therewith, an elongated angle member 86 which has one of its sides secured to the top of the box section, and the other of its sides in sliding engagement with the front of the reed panel. This latter side of the angle member is provided with a plurality of slots which correspond'to and register with the slotsin the reed panel in order to afford clearance for the warp wires passing through the latter when the angle member is moved upwardly into the plane thereof. The relation of parts is such that when the box section is moved through means of the connecting rods 18 and 85, the angle member will, at the upper limit of such movement, extend to overlie the weft wire panel guide groove 81, and, at the lowerlimit of its movement, will be withdrawn sufficiently completely to uncover the groove,

By virtue of the fact that this construction eliminates the bobbin and shuttle, which used to be employed to lay the weft wire into association to the box lower ends are carried by a 86 with the warp wires, and which required that the'wires be separated by the heddles a substantial distance to permit the bobbin and shuttle to pass therebetween, the warp wires now need to be separated only a relatively slight distance in forming the shed. Likewise the beater frame,

. plurality of retaining irons 18a that are secured 3 which formerly had to be oscillated from the line of convergence of the warp wires back to a position sufllciently remote from the latter where suflicient spacing between the warp wires was had to allow for the passage of the bobbin and shuttle therebetween, now only needs to be moved amelatively short distance to the point where the warp wires are but sufficiently diverged to accommodate a wire of their own diameter. In practice, however, as will be seen in Figure 8, the actual clearance allowed is somewhat in excess of this, although still far less than that which had to be provided in the machines employing the bobbin and shuttle type of weft wire feed.

Among the advantages of the new construction are: (1) the material reduction of. motions in the operating cycles of both thebeater frame and the heddles; (2) a corresponding reduction in the amount of deflection in the warp wires; and (3) the minimizing of the space required for the operation of these elements by the reduction of motion, rendering the machine considerably more compact and capable of being accommodated in less floor space than in the case of the older machines. Inaddition to the conservation of door space in a longitudinal direction, the machine of the present invention, by obviatingthe bobbin and shuttle construction, has done away with the sizable lateral extensions that projected from each side of the beater frame constituting tracks upon which the shuttle rode, which greatly increased the lateral space requirements of the old machines.

Attention is Figure 8, also appearing in Figure 2, by which the beater frame i oscillated to position the weft wires in the warp wires. These cams are provided in place of the cranks commonly employed to actuate the beater frames in looms of the prior art. Such cranks were objectionable in that they failed to provide for the positive retention of the weft wire until the warp wires could be shifted by the heddles the distance necessary to grip and hold the weft wire in position. In short, there was no dwell in the operating cycle} of the beater framewhereby the latter would hold the weft wires in their forwardmost position until the warp wires could be moved to lock thesame.

The cams,22l of the present invention advance and hold the reed of the beater frame firmly against each of the weft wires it delivers into the bite of the warp, holding it in this position until the warp wires are practically completely re-' versed in the shed to lock the weft picket in place. There is also provided another dwell in the cam 22! so that, when the beater frame is retracted to the opposite end of its oscillatory path, it will remain there a sufllcient length of time to be charged with another length of weft wire from the pinch rolls and stationary guides. The contour of the cams, in providing for the dwell of the beater frame in its forwardmost position, is such as will allow for the radual advancement of the latter in unison with the uninterrupted advancement of the fabric, until the warp shed has been reversed to securely grip the newly deposited weft wire into position, where it remains.

called to the cams 22l shown in are notdeiiected from their horizontal plane ofa feed, as is required to effect interweaving.

SILVAGI mama-ion After the weft pickets arelaid mt... by the beater frame and the web moves on beyond the latter, the fabric is complete with the exception of its selvages. The manner and means whereby.

the selvages are finished will now be described.

After the warp selvages have been welded so as to tack the opposite marginal portions of the web together, and to anchor the intermediate wiresinto place, the web is then passed on to the form- As has already been stated, weft wire is fed across the panel groove 31 in the beater frame reed 05 until it extends across and somewhat 'being devices, First, however, it is necessary for the weft picket ends at the right-hand side of the 10,

fabric to be cut oil evenly so as to correspond to their opposite ends at-the left-hand side of the fabric- It has already been indicated that this is only necessary'at the right-hand side of the machine, and is effected by a shear 00, as is schematically represented in Figure 11.

The web then passes by the first forming tools 00 whereby each end of each picket wire is simultaneously crimped, as shown in Figure 11.

, Thereafter, crimped weft pickets are bent into wire guide 30 with which it closely cooperates.

Movement of the beater frame moves the knife blade past the stationary guide and cleanly severs the weft picket carried by the beater frame from Y the supply end remaining in the stationary guide. This is diagrammatically represented in the upper right-hand corner of Figure 11, wherein is also shown the subsequent forming, bending and welding steps which are carried out simultaneously on each edge of the fabric by means about to be described.

Inasmuch as there are two complete units for working upon both edges of the fabric simultaneously, it will be convenient to establish at the outset which of these units is being referred to in the ensuing description. Therefore, the unit appearing below the centerline of the machine in Figure 1 will be hereinafter referred to as the righthand unit, and the one appearing above the center line of the machine in Figure 1 will be termed the left-hand unit. These designations are not arbitrary ones, but are determined by the position of the operator, who would stand to the lefthand end of the machine, as shown in Figure 1,

facing in the direction from which the wires and fabric come. 0

Referring to Figure 11, it will be seen that the weft wires P leave the beater frame trimmed evenly on the left-hand side of the fabric, which is at the top of Figure 11, and somewhat raggedy at the right-hand side of the fabric, having been slightly overfed by the pinch rolls 35 to insure that a sufficient amount is provided to form the selvage. The web is advanced between electrodes 88, two of which are respectively mounted over I each of the outermost Warp wires or selvage wires at each side of the fabric, and the other two of which are disposed in corresponding positions heneath the web. Thus is constituted the electrode jaws, which are arranged'for intermittent closing and opening motion in the vertical planeof the outermost warp wire.

In this connection it will be noted that the outermost warp wire lies on top of all weft wires rather than being interwoven therein, as is the case of the intermediate wires. This is to make both selvages uniform and to provide a continuous shouldenequal in height to the diameter of the constituent wires, against which the exposed end portions of the weft pickets can be disposed after formation, so that no sharp ends will be left exposed. It will be apparent that the selvage warp wires are arranged wholly on one side of the fabric, in the manner described, by simply bypassing them through the heddles, whereby they final position, as at 0l,as is also shown in Figure 11. after which they are finally welded as at 02, and passed on to the take-up,

consraucrrox, Powrx Tamsmssron AND Ormrrou V (a) In general A brief description of the general construction, power transmission and operation of the machine, will now be given.

As viewed in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, it will be seen that the machine is built in and upon two side frames 10 in which are joumaled the shafts for transmitting power and the rollers for guiding and advancing the fabric hereinbefore described. The main drive shaft 200 extends through one of the side frames to accommodate on its outer end a pulley 20l which is connected to the prime nover 202 by means of a belt 203. In the drawings an electric motor has been illustrated, which, as viewed in Figure 4, is partly hung on the drive belt to tension it and to afford a relatively positive friction drive.

The power from the main drive shaft 200 is transmitted through a gear train 204 comprising a pinion 205 and spur gear 206 to a friction clutch 201, the driving element of which is rigidly aflixed to the spur gear, and the driven element of which is splined to the secondary shaft 200. The spur gear 206 is free running on the secondary shaft 208 and the latter is driven through the gear train 204 by the main shaft 200 only when the clutch 201 is in engagement.

Rotation of the secondary shaft 200 rotates a pinion 200 which, in turn, drives a spur gear 2I0 that is mounted in free-rimning, concentric relation to the tertiary shaft 2| I. This free-running gear 2|0 has rigidly secured to it a sprocket 2l2 and a driving clutch element 2l3, the driven complement.2l4 of which is splined in non-rotative relation relative to the tertiary shaft.

It will be observed by reference to Figures 1 and 6 of the drawings that the sprocket2l2 is the driving element in a chain drive for operating the weft feed. By disengaging the clutch 201 of the secondary shaft the operation offthe machine, including the operation of the weft wire feed, is suspended; while, by disengaging the clutch 2|3 of the tertiary shaft, the opera' tion of the machine is suspended without interrupting the operation of the weft wire feeding devices.

' Intermediate the ends of the tertiary shaft 2| I are accommodated driving sprockets 2i5-2i0 which transmit power through chains 2l|2i0, respectively, to the lower driven cam shafts 2|9-220, respectively, through which the heddles are operated and by means of which other devices are actuated, as will be presently described. The tertiary shaft 2!! also accommodates and drives the cams 22L one' of which is shown in Figure 8, which operate the beater frame through its oscillatory cycle; also the warp wire tensioning cam l9, through which the compensating tensioning rolls 5 are operated-in coordination with the beater frame and heddles by virtue of the sprocket and chain connection, mentioned above.

With reference'to Figure 6, the tertiary shaft 2 drives sprocket. 213, which, through chain 2H3, drives the short shaft 220. This shaft extends through the housing l and rotates a pinion 280 through a clutch 28!. Referring once again to Figures and 6, it will be seen that the pinion 280 meshes with a gear 232, which drives, through bevel gears 283, the longitudinal shaft 234 from which, by a worm 285 and a worm gear 236, the fabric feed rollsllll are driven. The

shaft 284 is provided with a spur gear 281 (see Figures 2 and 5) which, through pinion 233, I

(b) The heddles Each heddle comprises a rectangular frame 222' carried within stationary vertical slide bearings 223 which are mounted to the side frame 10 of the machine adjacent each of the ends of the heddles in which flanges on the heddle frames are adapted to slide. The heddle frames are supported in the stationary vertical slide bearings by means of equallizing chains 224 which are at one of their ends secured to the top of one of the heddle frames, and at their opposite ends secured to the top of the other heddle frame, substantially as shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4. The equallizing chains are passed over sprockets 225 carried by a shaft 226 that is journaled on a cross bar 221 extending between a pair of frame uprights 228 which carry the vertical slide bearings 223. The entire assembly is such as to--dispose the sprockets 225 directly above the heddle frames so that the latter may be hung for free movement in the vertical slides by the equallizin chains 224, as will be hereinafter described. Each of the heddle frames is provided with a plurality of heddle wires 229, as may be better seen in Figures 6 and 7. Each of the heddle wire on each of the frames is arranged in identical manner, whereby the description of one may be accepted as typical. Each heddle wire is tensioned between the top and bottom bars of the rectangular heddle frame so as to be parallel with the end bars of the latter. Approximately midway between its ends, the heddle wire is provided with an eye 230 for the accommodation of a warp wire strand. As between the two heddle frames. the heddle wires are arranged in stag ered relationship in order that the warp wires passing therethrough will be controlled in alternation by their respective heddles. From this it becomes obviou that when the heddles are simultaneously shifted relative to each other, one upwardly and the other downwardly, by means presently to be described, alternate warp wires are deflected upwardly and downwardly from the horizontal plane of their normal feed.

hereinbefore, and receiving its power through sprockets and chain from the tertiary shaft 2| 1.

It will be noted that the cams 236-231 are of identical contour but are so mounted that the operating period of one is timed 180 of rotation from the operating period of the other. Each of the cams aligns with its respective rocker arm 233-234, intermediate the ends of which are provided cam follower rollers 238-239, respectively, so that anti-frictional contact is provided between the two.

It will be seen from the foregoing that rotation of the shaft 2 l9 causes the cams 236-231, which are keyed thereto, to move the rocker arms 233- 234 alternatelyup and downsimultaneously in opposite directions, which motions are, through the connecting rod 23l-232, positively imparted to the heddles 222 respectively. Fo this reason.

and since the latter are tied together by the equallizing chains 224, the downward deflection of one of the heddles necessarily causes the other heddle to be raised a corresponding amount When both of the heddles lie in congruent relation, the eyes 230 in the respective heddles fall side by sidein horizontal alignment, causing the warp wires passing therethrough to align in a horizontal plane, which, in the absence of the heddles, would constitute the normal line of feed.

(0) The weft feed The weft wire feed comprises a supply reel 28 from which wire is adapted to be paid in the vertical direction, up to guides 31-55, down through tension rollers 33, around a guide roller, 33a. through some more straightening and tensioning rollers 33 into the bite of successive pairs of feed rolls 35. The feed rolls, which are grooved to accommodate thewire, are supported in adjustable relation by movable journals carrying the uppermost rolls of each pair. These journals are adapted for movement toward and away from the lower rolls by a connecting rod 39, which, at its upper end, is secured to a yoke 38 carrying the movable journals, and, at its lower end, to a crank 40. This crank is oscillated through a rock shaft 240, on which a lever 2 is secured for engagement by a cam 243. The cam is arranged to provide an operating cycle during which the feed rolls 35 are intermittently brought together and held apart. By this means, it is possible to effect intermittent feed of the Weft wire without requiring that the feed roll drive be interrupted, or

the rotation of the rolls'stopped. Wire guides chine through the .sprockets 2|2-249, and

sprocket chain 260.

It. has already been mentioned in conjunction with the forced feed of the wire P through the feed rolls 66 that in order to remove all excess drag from the wire, the supply reel 26 is positively driven synchronously with the feed rolls to insure a free and adequate feed of-the wire without tension. As already explained, this is effected by the depending stub shaft 63 on which is mounted for positive rotation therewith, a split pulley 44 comprising two cone-shaped halves urged toward one another by means of a compression spring 46. The resistance of the spring may be varied by means of the nut 46 fixed to the threaded portion at the lowermost end of the shaft. The upper end of the shaft 66 is secured to a bevel gear which receives rotative effort from a bevel gear 252 carried on the shaft 24! adjacent the sprocket 2 from which the latter is powered. The reel 28, being mounted on a swingable arm 50 as already briefly explained, is adjustable toward or away from the split pulley 64 by mean of the set screw 53, so as to vary the effective diameter on which the split pulley engages the belt-41. By thi means, the speed at which wire is paid from the reel may be regulated.

(d) The heater frame, reed, etc.

The beater frame is comprised of a pair of arms 68-59, each of which is pivoted in trunnion bearings GIL-6|, respectively, on opposite portions of the side frames l0. By reference to Figure 9, it will be seen that the rocker arms are connected together across their upper extremities by a cross bar 62 of special configuration. Carried on this cross bar is a plurality of specially formed dents 64 which, when assembled together on the cross bar, and secured thereto by means of the clamp '16 and the impaling tie rod I1, constitute a unitary panel 65 formed with the requisite warp wire slots and weft wire panel guide groove 31 previously described herein.

The rocker arms 58 and 69 are each provided with a rearwardly extending bracket I95 which is integrally aflixed to the arm. Each bracket I95 is equipped with a cam follower roller I96, which is adapted to track in the cam groove of the cam 22l, whereby, when these cams are actuated by rotation of the tertiary shaft 2 i l, the beater frame is, through rigidly extending bracket I95, pushed and pulled through its operating oscillatory cycle. As viewed in Figure 8, the cam 22| has moved the beater frame approximately to its most forward position, where the reed 65 causes the weft picket contained in the groove 31 to be tightly wedged into the points of convergence of the line wires. Here, the reed continues to bear forcefully on the picket being placed, while the heddle actuating cams 236-431 (Fi ures 3 and 6) effect the reversal of the warp shed, and the cams 266 (Figure 8) cause the groove 31 to be opened, thus enabling the picket to be discharged from the reed.

It should be noted, however, that since the I fabric is formed and completed without interrupting the steady forward advancement thereof, the beater frame must be afforded a creeping movement forward from its initial advanced position to its ultimate advanced position immediately '7 preceding the return thereof. Obviously this is accomplished by making the cam 22! with the portion lilthereof of a very gradual operating contour, rather than as an absolute dwell.

The opposite-or recessional-phase of the operating cycle of the cain 22l occurs at portions Ill thereof, which are truly circular in contour,

and concentric with the tertiary shaft 2 I I. effecting a dwell in the cycle of the beater frame for more than 180 of rotation of this shaft. It is during this interval of repose that the weft feed rolls II are closed to charge the reed groove 31 with a new length of weft wire, from which another picket is formed. The heater frame is then again advanced to the position generally shown in Figure 8 and the cycle is repeated.

The central axis of the weft wire panel guide groove 31 is so disposed that, when the beater frame is oscillated to perform its essential functions in fabricating the wire, it generates a path 5 corresponding to a segment of a cylinder, in which the axis of the weft wire guide 66 lies at one end, and in which the line of convergence of the warp wires into the plane fabric lies at its other end. when the beater frame is in the rearmost position of its oscillatory cycle of movement, the panel roove 31 registers in accurate alignmentwith the weft wire guide 66, and, in this position, is adapted to receive and guide across the extent of warp wires the weft wire P as it is fed in by the pinch rolls 66.

The box section 18, which is arranged to bear upon the front face of the reed panel 66, carrying the slotted angle member which opens and closes the weft wire panel guide groove 51 at opposite ends of the path of movement of the beater frame, respectively, is caused tomove through connecting rods 19, and associated parts, relative to the groove by a rocker arm 263, having a bifurcated end portion 264 provided with cam follower rollers 266 for positive actuation by the cams 266. The cams 266 are mounted on a shaft 25'! which is driven by a sprocket and chain drive 256, the power of which originates with driven shaft 220, which in turn is in sprocket-and-chaindrive relation with the tertiary shaft; 2i I. This may be clearly seen inFigures 5 and 6.

Many changes may be made in the structure and operating characteristics of the preferred inventive embodiments herein illustrated, which, though departing from the letter of this specification and drawings, will not depart from the spirit of the invention as apprehended in and by the following claims. It is intended, therefore, that the inventions herein set forth be limited by only the claims construed in the light of these specifications and drawings, and the prior art, and not be deemed limited to the specific embodiments here adopted as preferential for purposes of description.

I claim: v

1. A fabric wire feed comprising: a pair of feed rolls; a drive for said roll including a driven shaft; a split cone pulley arranged to be driven by said shaft; 9. supply reel; a pulley in horizontal alignment with said split cone pulley affixed to drive said reel, and a belt tensioned between the split cone and reel pulleys.

2. A fabric wire feed comprising: a pair of feed rolls; a drive for said rolls including a driven shaft; a split cone pulley arranged to be driven by said shaft; a reel standard; an arm pivoted to said standard; a reel joumaled on said arm in offset relation to its pivot on the standard; a pulley carried by said arm adapted and arranged to drive said reel; a drive belt tensioned between the split cone and reel pulleys, and means for adjusting said arm and reel about the pivot on the standard to change the distance between said pulleys.

3. In a fabricating machine for making fabrics of longitudinal warp and transverse weft wires:

heddle means for eflecting shed in said warp wires; a reed carrying a weft wire uide; warp feeding means for passing warp wires across said guide; a weft wire supply'reel; a weft feed mechanism adapted to periodically withdraw weft wire from said reel and advance a portion thereof along said guide, comprising a pair of c'oacting weft wire feed rolls, means for continuously driving the latter, means for periodically moving one of said rolls away from the other to thus efiect an intermittent weft wire feed from said continuously driven rolls; means for periodically severing successive lengths of weft wire fed by said rolls; means for actuating said reed properly to position the fed length of weft wire relative to the warp wire, and means connected with said reed to cause it to hold the length of weft wire ing the warp wires into reciprocal positions relative to said guide groove and to each other to grip a weft wire disposed in the shed of warp wires; and means coacting with said roove for confining each severed length of weft wire therein until after the said shedding means has shifted said warp wires.

5. In a machine for making woven fabrics: a reed having a weft guide groove therein; means for feeding a plurality of warp wires proximate to said groove in a direction normal thereto; a weft wire supply; a weft wire feed mechanism adapted to intermittently withdraw a predetermined length of weft wire from said supply and advance it along said guide, said mechanism comprising a pair of roll bearings, a roll-journaled in each of said bearings, means for continuously driving the rolls, and means for shifting one ofsaid bearings relatively to the other so as alternately to increase and decrease the spacing between their respective rolls; shedding means for shifting the warp wires into reciprocal positions relative to said guide groove and to each other to grip a weft-wire disposed therein; and means coacting with said groove for confining each severed length of weft wire therein for a predetermined time interval.

NOAH S. HARTER. 

